Greene King unveils new 'devilishly good' seasonal cask

Created in collaboration with Nethergate Brewery, Bloodhound is a rich 4.4% ABV chocolate blood-orange flavoured stout

The launch marks Greene King’s third collaboration with the award-winning Sudbury-based brewer and the thirteenth limited-edition cask to be released as part of this year’s Fresh Cask Releases Calendar.

Nethergate Brewery head brewer Ian Carson said: "Blood Hound is a devilishly good brew.

“We love collaborating with the team at Greene King – their shared passion for cask ale matches ours, making the process both exciting and seamless.

Exceptional beer 

“We’ve put our hearts into this one – Blood Hound is a truly exceptional beer that we’re proud to put our name to."

The Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator also revealed its Old Speckled Hen variant will be receiving a seasonal rebadge as Old Spooky Hen.

Pubs stocking Old Speckled Hen will receive a new pump clip this month as well as PoS material detailing an exclusive on-trade campaign giving customers the opportunity to win “fangtastic” prizes.

With more than 150 prizes up for grabs, including haunted sleepovers and escape room vouchers, all customers will need to do is purchase a pint of Old Spooky Hen and upload a picture of it and some details using the QR code provided in participating pubs across the UK.

Also joining the flock in October will be Old Ghostly Hen, the rebadged Halloween version of Old Golden Hen, which will also be sent to customers that stock the original cask as a spooky lighter ale option for drinkers.

Seasonal twist 

Greene King technical brewer Alun Fulcher said: “It was a pleasure to work with Nethergate on Blood Hound and it really is something different that many people will enjoy.

“As we know stout continues to grow in the market, so Blood Hound is a great addition to the bar this October.

“It’s always great to work with other brewers as you can be creative and find new things as different teams bring different skills and knowledge to a brew. Nethergate are a brilliant team and are as keen as us to really show off what cask can offer.

“It is also great to give our core cask ales a seasonal twist, meaning customers have something new and exciting to show on the bar without changing the product and it encourages sale with what appears to be a seasonal beer.”